Offended by being wished a "Happy Holiday Season" ?

[GREGXR8]

Originally Posted by popinfresh

I can't believe Coca Cola pretty much created the Santa we see today.. Pretty sad ey? The image of the most well known and loved fictional character today was created by a 'soda' company.

fictional!!! great there goes christmas.

[Sourbastard]

Originally Posted by 4.9 EF Futura

Lol, speaking of political correctness...

speak of the politically incorrect, and he appears! Just ask all the feminists i stalk.

[5.0failane]

As much as I am in no way religious, I think wishing someone a happy holiday season rather than a merry christmas is once again bowing to the minority groups. Since Australia was founded we have celebrated xmas on the 25th of December, and with any luck we will continue to do so, cause I realy need a break, but it is the complaining minorities who will always speak the loudest and before you know it they will ban public displays of xmas so as not to offend other religiouys minoruties.These are the same minority groups that has lobbied to have bah bah black sheep changed to pink sheep so as not to offend anyone!

[Yellow_Festiva]

Ok.........

Perhaps your should have wished them a "Merry syphilis and Happy gonorrhea"


The ticket guy at the train station told that to me once and i never forgot it

But all honestly, i can see where they are coming from..... as mentioned previously, a certain CLOVER of the ungreen variety decided to paint the former olympic city with a whole lot of "Seasons Greetings" banners........ what a load of tripe...

Call a spade a spade, i would be ****ed off if i was told to not say Merry Christmas, in fact i would do the extreme opposite and see if my boss decided to do something about my going against the rules etc etc......

Christmas these days has minimal religious significance... but we celebrate it as me are a Christian country and our rules base this as a foundation.

Now off topic for a second...........

Im not happy when words used in other countries creep in to Aussie vocab, eg i once saw a sign on a bondi jtn street saying "Parking for loading / unloading of LORRIES only" and a shop advertising their floor space in...... SQUARE FEET!! (sounds bigger i guess lol) but thats just me........

[Van D]

Come to think of it.. My town doesn't have their usualy christmas decorations up on the light posts/power poles etc... Anyone else's town not doing it?

[buddha]

Please ignore my nickname as you read this! LOL!

I look at Christmas this way:

1. I used to be Catholic, but after having and witnessing a number of nasty events, I have become a devout Athiest, as such. I don't believe that Australian society is based on any religious belief, because religions seem to me to be, by their very nature, elitist and segregating, two traits which we have traditionally tried to stamp out in Australian society.

2. The tradition of spending 25 December with friends and family, sharing gifts and having a decent feed, stretches way back beyond Christianity, but from what I've read, the Christian movement adopted the date as Christmas Day as they felt the tradition, as it was, called for a little less "debauchery", so to speak.

3. Given that history, I see no reason why any person, religious or not, should be excluded from enjoying the Christmas period. So I think that Santa Claus, regardless of how he came to be, is an excellent symbol that can unite all people for at least one day a year.

4. Some non-Christians get upset when they are wished a Merry Christmas, because they don't believe the Christian meaning of the period. But do accountants get angry at being wished a Happy New Year, when they believe the year starts on July 1? Of course not, they're accountants, they have no life and so wouldn't be at a New Year's party! ;)

Regardless of your beliefs, we've been given some days off, so enjoy them!

[KaptnKaos]

In the interests of "political correctness" I got this in my email today:

On the 12th day of the Eurocentrically imposed midwinter festival, my Significant Other in a consenting adult, monogamous relationship gave to me:

TWELVE males reclaiming their inner warrior through ritual drumming,

ELEVEN pipers piping (plus the 8-member pit orchestra made up of members in good standing of the Musicians Equity Union as called for in their union contract even though they will not be asked to play a note),

TEN melanin deprived testosterone-poisoned scions of the patriarchal ruling class system leaping,

NINE persons engaged in rhythmic self-expression,

EIGHT economically disadvantaged female persons stealing milk-products from enslaved Bovine-Australians,

SEVEN endangered swans swimming on federally protected wetlands,

SIX enslaved Fowl-Australians producing stolen non-human animal products,

FIVE golden symbols of culturally sanctioned enforced domestic incarceration,

(NOTE: after members of the Animal Liberation Front threatened to throw red paint at my computer, the calling birds, French hens and partridge have been reintroduced to their native habitat. To avoid further Animal-Australian enslavement, the remaining gift package has been revised.)

FOUR hours of recorded whale songs

THREE deconstructionist poets

TWO Planet Ark calendars printed on recycled processed tree carcasses

and...

ONE Spotted Owl activist chained to an old-growth pear tree.

Merry Christmas Happy Chanukah. Good Kwanzaa

Oh, heck!

Happy* Holiday!!!!

(unless otherwise prohibited by law)

* Unless, of course, you are suffering from Seasonally Affected Disorder (SAD). If this be the case, please substitute this gratuitous call for celebration with a suggestion that your have a thoroughly adequate day.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by popinfresh

I can't believe Coca Cola pretty much created the Santa we see today.. Pretty sad ey? The image of the most well known and loved fictional character today was created by a 'soda' company.

And what internet site did you get this gem from?

[atec77]

Originally Posted by Ringo

Exactly.....I didn't know I lived in a Christian country either.

I wonder what else you lack information on ?, AU was founded by a predominatly Christian England and still is considered so , even with imported mixtures this idea wont change anytime soon imho.

[eb_5litre]

The Origin of Christmas

[eb_5litre]

Another Pearler

[eb_5litre]

The Truth About Santa Clause

[Van D]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

And what internet site did you get this gem from?

Coca Cola.

Lol.

PS. My sister studied it in Uni for a little bit.

[eb_5litre]

Coca-Cola Santa

[GasoLane]

Oooh, with all these wise words I cant wait to see what will get said at Easter.

Like the Roman soldier who said "Drop that cross once more JC and you're out'a the parade!

[eb_5litre]

Its actually quite interesting reading all the various opinions and so-called truths about the origins of Christmas and Santa Clause etc.
I myself am strongly against any form of organised religion but am always curious of others beliefs, I only celebrate Christmas as a purely materialistic holiday and give gifts to others as they do to me because it is polite to do so.

[eb_5litre]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

Oooh, with all these wise words I cant wait to see what will get said at Easter.

Like the Roman soldier who said "Drop that cross once more JC and you're out'a the parade!

Here ya go

The Truth About Easter

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by popinfresh

Coca Cola.

Lol.

PS. My sister studied it in Uni for a little bit.

Maybe you should show sister where Google is

http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/santa.asp
Claim: The modern image of Santa Claus — a jolly figure in a red-and-white suit — was created by Coca-Cola.

Status: False.

[Van D]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

Maybe you should show sister where Google is

http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/santa.asp
Claim: The modern image of Santa Claus — a jolly figure in a red-and-white suit — was created by Coca-Cola.

Status: False.

Meh, to me that still says Coke concreted it globally.. So perhaps I shouldn't have said created, but you can't deny that if Coke didn't use Santa as an advertising campaign that it'd be different today. Especially around areas that still had different portayals of him (that really only talks about the US's change).

I'm tired and that probably made no sense.

[eb_5litre]

I dont think the statement is completely untrue, it certainly looks as if they created the image of an American Santa, if you look at pictures of the European Saint Nicholas they differ hugely.


Saint Nicholas

[Van D]

Originally Posted by eb_5litre

I dont think the statement is completely untrue, it certainly looks as if they created the image of an American Santa, if you look at pictures of the European Saint Nicholas they differ hugely.


Saint Nicholas

Thats where I was kinda getting at. The scoped site talks mainly about the US and how the image started to appear before Coke. I think they concreted it in the American society and in turn took it global.

If they hadn't of addopted the image, I don't think it'd be the same santa clause we look at.

[Ford_Boy]

has anyone read what the person who wrote the letter was complaining about? they were saying that the company should have just said merry christmas. i think no one should be offended to that. im ortodox and i celebrate easter on a different day but i never get offended if someone says have a good easter. i just say its not my easter yet but thanks you too. id rather get a good greeting then no greeting.

it was sad that someone complained about it but i can see there point. im always seeing ads about the christmas offers so why does it matter if you wrote it in the letter. i can understand both parties veiw but i think you are right ringo. you didnt have to give a nice greeting.

i don't think people should say happy holidays so not to offend people but to say it so it refers to there religion. im gunna be surprise to me if someone said have a good ead.


if people want to complain about being wished a merry christmas then they should not be given the luxuary of a holiday to celebrate christmas. i would be very angry at anyone if they said i couldnt wish someone merry christmas. if somesaid it to me then i would say it back. i dont giv a *** if someone over heard it. its not a secret that its christmas. IF I WANT TO SHARE IT WITH A FELLOW CHRISTIAN THEN I WILL. and anyone who gets offended by that should grow some hair on their nuts.

im sick of everyone having a ***** fit about being offended. i wouldnt care if a jewish man said happy chanika to his friend. my muslim mate used to ring me and wish me a merry christmas. thats the kind of thinking we all should be like. id have no problem wishing a happy chanika, ead or quanza to someone if i knew what they were celebrateing or following.

sorry for the long rant but some people need to realise that its ridiculous to cater for everyone.

[Trevor 57]

I am a practising Atheist, and I am happy to recieve either wish, but I do agree that this is a Christian country and that should take precedence over all else. The thought of cancelling Christmas celebrations (in some quarters) because of a minority makes my blood boil. :